Speech synthesis dictionary creation apparatus, method, and computer-readable medium storing program codes for controlling such apparatus and pitch-mark-data file creation apparatus, method, and computer-readable medium storing program codes for controlling such apparatus

Abstract

The distance between the first two pitch marks of a voiced portion of speech data to be processed is calculated. The difference between the adjacent inter-pitch-mark distances is calculated. The respective calculation results are stored and managed in a file.

1. A speech synthesis dictionary creation apparatus for creating speech synthesis dictionaries containing pitch mark data for use in performing speech synthesis by using pitch marks, the apparatus comprising:
 first recording means for recording an inter-pitch-mark distance between the first two pitch marks of a voiced portion of speech data to be processed into data for speech synthesis dictionaries; 
 calculation means for calculating a difference between adjacent inter-pitch-mark distances, which are obtained by calculating distances between adjacent pitch-mark positions; and 
 second recording means for recording the calculation results obtained by said calculation means in the speech synthesis dictionaries, 
 wherein the speech synthesis dictionaries are accessed to generate and output synthesized speech. 
 
   
   
     2. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising counting means for counting the number of pitch marks of the voiced portion, and
 when the number of pitch marks is counted by said counting means, said second recording means stores the number of pitch marks in a file and manages the number of pitch marks. 
 
   
   
     3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the speech synthesis dictionaries further contain speech data. 
   
   
     4. A method for creating speech synthesis dictionaries containing pitch mark data for use in performing speech synthesis by using pitch marks, the method comprising:
 a first recording step for recording an inter-pitch-mark distance between the first two pitch marks of a voiced portion of speech data to be processed into data for speech synthesis dictionaries; 
 a calculation step for calculating a difference between adjacent inter-pitch-mark distances, which are obtained by calculating distances between adjacent pitch-mark positions; and 
 a second recording step for recording the calculation results obtained in said calculation step in the speech synthesis dictionaries, 
 wherein the speech synthesis dictionaries are accessed to generate and output synthesized speech. 
 
   
   
     5. The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising a counting step of counting the number of pitch marks of the voiced portion, and
 when the number of pitch marks is counted in said counting step, said second recording step stores the number of pitch marks in a file and manages the number of pitch marks. 
 
   
   
     6. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the speech synthesis dictionaries further contain speech data. 
   
   
     7. A computer-readable medium storing executable program codes for creating speech synthesis dictionaries, the speech synthesis dictionaries containing pitch mark data for use in performing speech synthesis by using pitch marks, causing a computer to perform the steps comprising:
 a first recording step for recording an inter-pitch-mark distance between the first two pitch marks of a voiced portion of speech data to be processed into data for speech synthesis dictionaries; 
 a calculating step for calculating a difference between adjacent inter-pitch-mark distances, which are obtained by calculating distances between adjacent pitch-mark positions; and 
 a second recording step for recording the calculation results obtained in said calculating step in the speech synthesis dictionaries. 
 
   
   
     8. The computer-readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein the speech synthesis dictionaries further contain speech data. 
   
   
     9. A pitch-mark-data file creation apparatus for creating pitch-mark-data files from speech data, the apparatus comprising:
 computer processing means for processing speech data, said computer processing means comprising:
 (i) a memory for storing data, including speech data and a pitch-mark-data file, the speech data comprising a voiced portion having pitch marks; 
 (ii) first determination means for accessing the speech data from said memory and determining inter-pitch-mark distances between adjacent pitch marks of the voiced portion of the speech data; 
 (iii) first recording means for recording in the pitch-mark-data file a first inter-pitch-mark distance between the first two pitch marks of the voiced portion; 
 (iv) second determination means for determining a difference between the first inter-pitch-mark distance and a second inter-pitch-mark distance determined by said first determination means; and 
 (v) second recording means for recording in the pitch-mark-data file the difference determined by said second determination means, 
 wherein pitch marks of the voiced portion of the speech data can be determined from the first inter-pitch-mark distance determined by said first determination means and the difference determined by said second determination means. 
 
 
   
   
     10. The apparatus according to  claim 9 , further comprising counting means for counting the number of pitch marks of the voiced portion,
 wherein said second recording means stores in the pitch-mark-data file the number of pitch marks counted by said counting means. 
 
   
   
     11. A pitch-mark-data file creation method for an information processing apparatus, the information processing apparatus comprising computer processing means for implementing the method and a memory storing speech data and a pitch-mark-data file, the speech data comprising a voiced portion having pitch marks, the method comprising:
 (i) a first determination step of accessing the speech data from the memory and determining inter-pitch-mark distances between adjacent pitch marks of the voiced portion of the speech data; 
 (ii) a first recording step of recording in the pitch-mark-data file a first inter-pitch-mark distance between the first two pitch marks of the voiced portion; 
 (iii) a second determination step of determining a difference between the first inter-pitch-mark distance and a second inter-pitch-mark distance determined in said first determination step; and 
 (iv) a second recording step of recording in the pitch-mark-data file the difference determined in said second determination step, 
 wherein pitch marks of the voiced portion of the speech data can be determined from the first inter-pitch-mark distance determined in said first determination step and the difference determined in said second determination step. 
 
   
   
     12. The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising a counting step of counting the number of pitch marks of the voiced portion,
 wherein said recording step further comprises recording in the pitch-mark-data file the number of pitch marks counted in said counting step. 
 
   
   
     13. A computer-readable medium storing executable program codes for creating pitch-mark-data files for use in performing speech synthesis by using pitch marks, causing a computer to perform the steps comprising:
 (i) a first determination step of accessing speech data from a memory and determining inter-pitch-mark distances between adjacent pitch marks of a voiced portion of the speech data; 
 (ii) a first recording step of recording in a pitch-mark-data file a first inter-pitch-mark distance between the first two pitch marks of the voiced portion; 
 (iii) a second determination step of determining a difference between the first inter-pitch-mark distance and a second inter-pitch-mark distance determined in said first determination step; and 
 (iv) a second recording step of recording in the pitch-mark-data file the difference determined in said second determination step, 
 wherein pitch marks of the voiced portion of the speech data can be determined from the first inter-pitch-mark distance determined in said first determination step and the difference determined in said second determination step.